CoorsTek breaks ground on $26 million expansion in Benton

CoorsTek held a groundbreaking ceremony at its Benton location Thursday (March 7) for a $26 million, 50,000-square-foot expansion that will increase its workforce of 200 there by about 15%.

The facility will expand the location’s current production of ceramic body armor used by U.S. military personnel and U.S. allies.

The CoorsTek facility produces other ceramic components that are used to make mechanical seals used in automobiles and in operations that transport fluids, such as petroleum products. Jonathan Coors, CoorsTek Inc.’s co-CEO, said in an interview that ceramics are a good component for those operations because they are smooth and create a good seal.

Coors said the company acquired the Benton facility in 1979. The company began producing ceramics in 1910 and has been producing body armor components for almost 20 years. The Adolf Coors Company was founded in 1873 and is best known for producing beer.

Co-CEO Timothy Coors also attended the groundbreaking, as did Gov. Asa Hutchinson along with dignitaries from Saline County.

Mike Preston, Arkansas Economic Development Commission director, said the company will receive a state income tax credit of 1% of total payroll through the state’s Advantage Arkansas program. It also will receive performance-based tax breaks on building and construction materials through the state’s TaxBack Program.